Time will tell if the Redblacks’ most important acquisition of the off-season proves to be one of their flashy new receivers. Or, perhaps that now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t, receiver-returner Chris Williams.

Everything is on the table as the Redblacks inch toward the end of their first week of training camp at Carleton University ahead of Monday’s first pre-season game, in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats.

There’s an outside chance the most significant pickup will turn out to be offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas.

In Year One, 2014, nothing turned the southside party into warm beer like the Redblacks popgun offence. Things got so bad, the very name TD Place seemed a cruel reminder of how difficult it was to actually score a TD.

Paying the price for expansion team wobbles was offensive co-ordinator Mike Gibson, fired at the end of a 2-16 season in which Ottawa produced just 278 points, 82 points behind the second-worst CFL offence in Montreal.

Maas, who was a decent CFL quarterback (with one brilliant, 5,000-plus yards throwing season in Edmonton, 2004) seems a great fit to spark Ottawa’s offence, especially now that it includes new weapons like Williams, the former return king from Hamilton, and fellow receiver additions in Ernest Jackson, Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli and Maurice Price.

Maas, who was the OC of a 2012 Toronto Argos team that won the Grey Cup, doesn’t profess to a particular philosophy as much as making the best use of what he has to exploit defences. That includes veteran quarterback Henry Burris, a couple of young QBs behind him in Thomas DeMarco and Danny O’Brien, a strong backfield, and no shortage of receiver targets.

“Ultimately we’re going to be diverse in what we do,” Maas says. “I would never pigeon-hole us into anything. I think we can do a lot of different things but what we do well, do soundly.”

Head coach Rick Campbell knew Maas the quarterback, when the two were in Edmonton. Campbell expects a jolt of electricity to this year’s offence, as directed by Maas.

“The thing we’re going to make a big effort to do – we want to be up-tempo, we want to get the ball in play-makers hands,” Campbell says. “We feel we have good speed and some athletes, so we want to throw the ball down the field to stretch the defence but also just get the ball in space to guys and make the defence have to tackle good players in space.”

It should help that the CFL rule changes are designed to improve offensive schemes and the return game, although Maas cautions that it shouldn’t take long for CFL defences and their coaching staffs to adjust and adapt.

At 39, Maas is roughly five months younger than his starting quarterback. Burris turned 40 this week. Forget about this being awkward. Maas and Burris are well acquainted with each other as rivals and now collaborators. Besides, Maas proved in Toronto he could work with an established veteran in Ricky Ray. Nothing could be more of a challenge than evolving from Ray’s backup QB (in Edmonton with the Eskimos) to his OC several years later. It helped that the two were close pals. They made some beautiful offensive music together, which Maas and Burris will try to duplicate here.

“Henry is one of the best leaders around, he’s an extremely hard worker, he’s as fit as anybody out here,” Maas says. “His age is just a number. He’s the only quarterback in the last three years who’s played every game. He’s a joy to work with.”

Still, Maas considers the new offensive schemes to be a work in progress for all players, Burris included.

“We put a lot of stuff in our offence, which makes everyone play a little slower than they probably would once they get it,” Maas says.

“I know it’s a progression for (Burris), too. He’s had six offences in the last six years, or whatever it is. There’s a lot of thinking going on in his brain but I can see him getting better at things every day.”

The best CFL teams are the ones with offensive lines that have been together for five, six seasons, where execution is second nature. As improved as the Redblacks are, at receiver and linebacker in particular, it will take some time to get everyone on the same page of that big new play book. Nothing could be more difficult than starting from scratch a year ago.

“Football is all about team camaraderie, and knowing other and feeling everything out,” Maas says. “This year we have such a huge head start on that. It’s nice to know guys and know where they’ve been, know they have experience in this league.”

A year ago, players and staff practically needed name tags to identify one another. Familiarity and a talent upgrade adds up to a better chance of putting the TD back in TD Place.

Packing up

Campbell says he will leave behind 10 to 15 players, either due to injuries or numbers, when the Redblacks leave Sunday for Hamilton. On Friday, the club released receiver L.J. Castile.

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